Results 3,941-3,960 of 17,498 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Addiction Treatment Services (5 Nov 2024)

Helen McEntee: My Department is fully committed to helping to significantly reduce the harms caused to families and communities by illicit drug use. The three main outcomes we are seeking to achieve in this area are tackling organised crime, ensuring that we minimise the harms caused to those with addiction issues, and diverting people from involvement in crime and illicit drug related activity. As the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (5 Nov 2024)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, a review of minimum sentences was carried out by my Department in accordance section 29 of the Judicial Council Act 2019. The resulting report, which was laid before the Oireachtas in May 2024, recommended the repeal of statutory provisions which provide that persons sentenced to the presumptive minimum term of imprisonment for various offences are ineligible...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (5 Nov 2024)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy in aware, in July 2023, a Prison Overcrowding Response Group was established, composed of officials from the Department of Justice and representatives from relevant agencies, to consider measures to address capacity issues in the prison estate. A number of actions recommended by the Group are being implemented. These actions include developing new, innovative responses to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Driver Licences (5 Nov 2024)

Helen McEntee: I can advise that the person cited by the Deputy has a stamp 4 permission granted until 04 June 2025. The person referred to by the Deputy can renew their immigration permission online with the Registration Office of my Department. All renewals are being processed using the online portal which can be access at the following link: inisonline.jahs.ie Any person who has an immigration...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Policy (5 Nov 2024)

Helen McEntee: At the outset, it is important to note that, as Minister, I do not comment on individual IIP applications. 6 individual REIT Investor applications were approved in the period from 2016-2020. Given the small number of applicants involved, my Department is not in a position to provide a further breakdown of these applications as the publication of such information may allow for the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Policy (5 Nov 2024)

Helen McEntee: At the outset, it is important to note that, as Minister, I do not comment on individual Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP) applications. The 'applicant' in the IIP process is the investor and not the project owner. The State has no responsibility for the performance of an investment under the Programme; these are a private matter between the investor and the project owner. It is a matter...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (5 Nov 2024)

Helen McEntee: The Deputy will be aware that Government is committed to the continued investment in the prison estate, to ensure that it is modern, fit-for-purpose and has the capacity to accommodate those committed to prison. In recent years, the prison estate has been increased by in excess of 200 additional spaces through the reopening of the refurbished Training Unit in Mountjoy, the opening of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (5 Nov 2024)

Helen McEntee: I can advise the Deputy that the application referred to was created on 23 June 2024. Supporting documentation was received in the New Delhi Visa Office on 10 July 2024 where it awaits examination and processing. It is not possible to give a definitive date as to when this application will be finalised. All applications are processed in chronological order, based on date order of receipt....

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (5 Nov 2024)

Helen McEntee: I can advise the Deputy that 173,363 visa applications were received to 29 October 2024 in the current year. In the same period in 2023, 142,789 applications were received. This reflects an increase of 21%, compared to the same period in 2023, with 30,574 additional applications received. The table below details the average processing times for Type C "short stay" and Type D "long stay"...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Applications (5 Nov 2024)

Helen McEntee: I understand the extended wait times can be frustrating for applicants and I want to assure anyone who has an application for naturalisation submitted, that the Citizenship Division of my Department is doing everything possible to progress applications as quickly as possible. Processing times are now decreasing year on year. The median processing time for a decision on an application in...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Policy (5 Nov 2024)

Helen McEntee: I can advise the Deputy that individuals must be in possession of a valid passport or identity documents when they arrive in Ireland and it is an offence to not have the appropriate documents. While there are exceptions for some passengers travelling within the Common Travel Area, in general, the requirement to have appropriate documents applies to Irish, EU and Non-EU arrivals. We have a...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (5 Nov 2024)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy is aware, with effect from 10 July 2024 Irish visa requirements were applied to nationals of South Africa. The Short Stay Visa Waiver Programme referred to by the Deputy, allows nationals of certain countries, who have entered the United Kingdom on foot of certain UK short stay visas, to travel to Ireland without the requirement to obtain an Irish visa. This programme is for...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (5 Nov 2024)

Helen McEntee: I can advise the Deputy that there are currently no plans to build Independent Living Units in Portlaoise Prison.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (5 Nov 2024)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 762 to 764, inclusive, together. As the Deputy is aware, the purpose of the Protected Disclosures Act (the “Act”) 2014, as amended by the Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Act 2022 (“the Act”), is to afford important protections to persons making protected disclosures. A protected disclosure, as set out in section 5 of the Act,...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (5 Nov 2024)

Helen McEntee: I can advise the Deputy that the applications referred to were created on the 08 October 2024. Supporting documentation was received in the Riyadh office on the 15 October 2024. The applications were received in the Ankara Visa Office on the 16 October 2024 where they await examination and processing. It is not possible to give a definitive date as to when these applications will be...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (5 Nov 2024)

Helen McEntee: I can advise the Deputy that the applications referred to were created on 03 August 2024. Supporting documentation was received in the Dublin Visa Office on 27 August 2024 where they await examination and processing. It is not possible to give a definitive date as to when these appeal applications will be finalised. All applications are processed in chronological order, based on date order...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (5 Nov 2024)

Helen McEntee: Section 15 of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended, sets out the statutory conditions that must be fulfilled for a certificate of naturalisation to be granted. Section 16 of the Act gives discretion to waive the statutory conditions in certain circumstances, including where the applicant is of Irish descent or Irish associations (related through blood, affinity or...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (5 Nov 2024)

Helen McEntee: The visa applications referred to by the Deputy were refused by the Visa Office in Dublin on 16 January 2023. The reasons for these decisions were set out in the refusal letters sent to the applicants at that time. Appeals of these decisions were launched on 08 March 2023. It is not possible to give a definitive date as to when these appeal applications will be finalised. All applications...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (5 Nov 2024)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of Garda business, including the recruitment and training of Garda members and staff, under Section 26 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended). As Minister I have no role in the Garda recruitment process and decisions related to the timing of Garda recruitment campaigns fall...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (5 Nov 2024)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will appreciate, in accordance with the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), it is the Garda Commissioner who is responsible for managing and controlling generally the administration and business of An Garda Síochána, including the training of its members and civilian staff. As Minister, I have no role in the matter. I have been informed by the Garda...